1- Layer. No, really. I could not COUNT the times I have left my beautiful, warm, and southern hometown decked out in a peacoat, scarf, and warm boots. You may look like the Michelin Man, but the fact of the matter is that winter clothes take up the most space…so layer it on and tell the carry-on scale to stick it where the sun don’t shine.

2- Just say no to nostalgia. When I first started traveling, I would keep every pamphlet, train ticket, theatre program, receipt…you name it. Then I realized, AIN’T NOBODY GOT ROOM FOR DAT. It eventually turns into clutter, it stresses you out, and well, most of us just aren’t the scrapbooking type (Thank God).

3- 4-Wheel Luggage. Holy sweet mother of all that is just. This will change your life. The difference between hauling the traditional 2-wheels and its 4-wheel counterpart is the difference between, say, planking throughout the entirety of Gone with the Wind…or watching comfortably from your king size bed.

4- Perfume. One thing that is far and few between in travel, is the taken-for-granted luxury of laundry service. Solution? Spray and (not actually) Wash! Sounds gross, but a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do.

5- Shoes and books are your greatest enemy. They will try to lure you with their beauty, quality, and all around vintage-ness…but the pull is pure evil and should be resisted! These SOBs are heavy and will break your back…not to mention your bank account when you incur a few overweight fees. Eventually, you’ll just end up throwing them away in the airport trash bins to save your last 40 bucks.